Tortoise is digging a hole with her back legs, is she trying to lay eggs?

[crimson_lotus]

So my tortoise has been digging a hole with her back legs for about a half hour now, and I mean, she can't really dig any deeper since she's just scratching against the bottom of her enclosure.

Can these guys lay infertile eggs?

 

[dmmj]

They can and do.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Yes, I have a Texas tortoise that lays infertile eggs every year (sometimes twice a year.)

 

[Yvonne G]

If the tortoise doesn't find a suitable spot to dig a nest, she may end up becoming egg bound. You should add substrate so she can dig a very deep hole.

 

[Tom]

I agree with Yvonne. What species? Where are you? Does your tortoise have an outdoor enclosure? That would be ideal.

 

[crimson_lotus]

She's a RF and I'm in Massachusetts...it's JUST getting warm enough for me to bring her outside, I actually brought her out today.

How much substrate would I need? It would be the same issue outside since my family sprays the grass and sidewalks, and I have to put her in a pool.

 

[Tom]

I believe N2Torts, who breeds a lot of Rfs, just said they need at least 16 inches in anther thread... Could be wrong, but I was surprised at how deep it needed to be.

 

[crimson_lotus]

That's a lot more than my 6 inches.... I'll have to check, but thank you for the info